Taste Spring
by Isabelle Adamowitz
Summary: Kyo feels that somehow,somehing is missing in his life, while spring is spreading it's fever in Shigure's veins. The cat and the dog, how could it work? And yet, there may be hope.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I don't own Fruits Basket and I'm not making money from this fic.

Warning: Shonen-ai. I think that sums it up.

Author's note: Is it because it's spring? Is it the rain? Is it the fact that I have about a million constructive things that I SHOULD be doing and don't feel like doing? Who knows.

**Chapter One**

_"…one day I'll come through, with my American Dream and it won't mean a fucking thing…"_

(Rags to Rags – the Eels)

Pat pat pat pat pat pat. His feet made a dull sound on the lacquered wooden floor. Thump thump thump thump. Up the stairs he went. The house was empty and the air was stuffy. Rrrroll clack rrrroll clack. His door sliding open and then closed. Sqweeek squi. He sat on his chair. Katakatakatakatakatak. He typed. Shigure's life was filled with house noises. In summer they were faint and mingled with the incessant hum of nearby cicadas, in autumn the wind blew against the windows and in winter the snow muffled it all, except for the gurgling of the central heating. But now, it was spring.

The writer opened the window to smell the sweet of spring. The aroma of things waking, stirring, the smell of hope and the beginning of things.

_"Spring, when a young man's thoughts turn to love"_ he said to himself.

It was a ritual. Some years he actually did go out and pursue a person worth loving, or at least try. The again, not everyone had the same idea when it came to defining love. Especially since in this case, the dog wilfully misunderstood it to be something more like "when a young man's thoughts turn to making love."

But now he was getting on in years, the fire, while being far from gone, didn't course through his bones quite as violently and he didn't get as much pleasure from being flirtatious all the time.

There was one thing though, that still tickled his senses as much as it always had, and that was the desire of forbidden things.

"Good morning Shigure-san. There's a pot of tea on the table for you and I'll bring breakfast right away."

"Thank you Tohru-kun."

He was about to go to the table where the two rivals already sat, one wolfing down his food, although he was a cat, the other elegantly performing the task of transferring food from the plate to his mouth, rather like a crane or some other long-beaked bird.

"Tell me, what do you think of when I say "Spring" to you, my dear Tohru-kun?" Shigure said with a slaloming smiling tone.

She paused in the doorway, still holding the writer's bowl and plate.

"Well, in spring flowers grow, baby animals are born and the sun starts warming my skin again." She said, finishing with a smile.

The dog responded with a smile as well and nodded his thanks. As he sat down to eat. As he moved to cross his legs, he gently took care to brush Kyo's knee in a way that would seem accidental. The cat turned, looked up, but seeing Shigure concentrating on breaking apart his chopsticks, decided it was nothing. Hmm.

Kyo stared at his feet in the bathtub. He could hear a bird chirping on a tree branch outside. Being a cat, this always put him in the mood to chase. He could just imagine the flurry of wings, the little heart beating as fast as it could, the rustling dry feeling of feathers in his mouth and the extatic joy of feeling the small life expire between his little pointy teeth. He shook himself. He actually liked birds, and he certainly wouldn't want to eat one raw. Furthermore, he disliked the fact that there was a certain ugly cruelty in his enjoying the idea of killing something defenceless. He wasn't only a cat… Why would he enjoy bathing if he were?

Kyo pulled his knees to his chest. He was troubled. He had been for quite a while. He had thought nothing of it when it started and to be honest, how could he, after all, he had been quite young at the time. Around the age of ten, as far as he could remember, he who was the cat-monster, he whom no one wanted to touch had had a strangely physical relationship with Shigure (A/N: no, get your minds out of the gutter, it's not what you think…) Despite not seeing his older cousin more than about five times a year, he had always enjoyed playing with him. Rough play that involved hitting the teenage dog in the stomach, rolling around in the grass with him, hanging onto his neck while he spun the young cat around, all those thing that normal children did, but that hardly any Soumas could.

Shigure had always welcomed Kyo and probably, he thought, enjoyed messing around too, but suddenly, everything had stopped. Kyo had become a young man and it didn't seem right to "play". Deep inside though, the cat had felt that there was an essential part of that friendship missing. Since the start of spring, he had found himself dreaming of those sunlit days of rolling around on the grass and when he woke up, ashamed as he was, he still craved it. So when little things like the morning's incident happened, Kyo couldn't help hoping for it to be some kind of invitation to play again, as stupid as it might sound.

Knock knock.

"Kyo, you've been in there for an hour. I'd like to have my bath before the day is over if possible, or is Tohru-kun in there with you?"

Klunk.

"Ne, Yuki, you didn't have to hit me that hard." The author whined.

"Grunt." Was all Kyo gave for an answer. He was about to get out of the tub when Shigure came into the bathroom.

"You won't mind if I hide in here until Yuki doesn't feel like he has to hit me every time he gets the occasion, hmm?" Shigure grinned.

Kyo didn't move for a second. His first reaction was to splash water onto the grinning dog who, having gotten over the initial shock, splashed back. A boyish sort of laugh escaped Kyo as he emptied the soap dish and used it to literally shovel water onto his cousin who fought back by pulling the plug and starting the cold shower over the other's head. Suddenly they stopped and just stared at each other.

"We're in trouble, aren't we?" Shigure said, a conspiratorial look playing about his features.

Suddenly, he wasn't Shigure the writer, he was nineteen-year-old "'Gure", the college student and friend.

"I guess we should mop up this mess." Kyo suggested.

That evening, as he sat on the roof, Kyo smiled quietly. The air was sweet, smelling like pollen and resting life, ready to wake up in a few hours. He was tired, but he still wanted to enjoy his calm sense of happiness. Shigure had played with him. He felt like hitting himself on the head for secretly liking it so much. He felt light and at the same time hungry, starved by some unacknowledged longing. He would never admit, never voice it, but he was beginning to sense that what bound him to his cousin was actually more serious than he thought.

"But I don't have to think about it until the next time I see him." Kyo thought.

And so, he stayed alone with the stars and the gaze of two unseen canine brown eyes.

End of Chapter one.


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: The characters and place described are not mine, they belong to Natsuki Takaya.

Warning: In case you haven't got it yet: shonen-ai.

A/N: Hey! Thanks to everyone who reviewed and to those who read, although they also could have reviewed ;)

**Chapter two**

Kyo woke up at five in the morning. He rubbed his eyes and stared out the window at the bird-laden trees. The chirruping was almost unbearable. He got up and rolled back his futon and stored it in the closet, changed and dragged his hand through his hair in an attempt to make it somewhat presentable. Then he went down.

Shigure watched the cat come down the stairs sleepily. He watched the beam of sunlight travel over his feet, shins, thighs, torso, neck and finally, his face as he descended. He looked around; Tohru was in the kitchen, Yuki was still in his room. Right when Kyo sat down, he pulled out the hidden squirt gun and blasted Kyo in the face to the latter's utter surprise.

"Ack!"

Klunk.

There went the squirt gun, and suddenly Shigure was lying on his back with a still slightly wet Kyo on top. The cat leisurely reached over and dumped a glass of water over his cousin's head before getting off him and going into the kitchen. What Shigure didn't see, was that Kyo's face was blushing.

"Ohayo gozaimasu!" chirped Tohru.

" Ohayo." Kyo answered softly.

"Kyo-kun, your face is red, do you have a fever? Are you ill?" She said bustling over to touch his forehead.

"I'm alright." He grunted before moving towards the fridge.

Shigure was still lying on his back, his face still wet and there was a mischevious glint in his eyes. When Kyo came back, he sat up and stared into the Cat's face as if to say "Hehe, I got you!" And Kyo, smiling stared "So did I." back at him. Their staring conversation was interrupted by Yuki's coming down to eat, but both of them still bore in mind the wonderful playfulness that they had rediscovered.

That afternoon, Shigure joined Kyo on the roof while he was meditating. He was quite surprised to se the kimono clad Dog clamber across to him clumsily, as if he might trip and fall.

"Ne Kyo-kun, catch me if I fall." The dog smiled.

When he finally had gotten next to Kyo he sat down and looked around once, sniffing the pollen heavy air.

"Before you get all comfortable, hand over the squirt gun." said Kyo.

"Frisk me." answered the Dog with a wink.

Kyo froze. He was pretty sure that this was supposed to be a joke, but he was tempted to take it literally. He looked at his cousin who just shrugged back, still with a grin pulling at his lips. Suddenly the grin became a softer smile.

"How are you Kyo?" he asked gently.

The Cat just stared. Memories; coming to the main house for New Year's Eve celebrations and having to wait outside, sitting in the Sohma residence gardens while Kagura, his childhood playmate was with Akito, waiting for Kazuma while he was being checked by Hatori. And on all of these occasions "'Gure" had come and sat next to him as he did now and asked how he was with the same quiet smile. He moved forward and put one arm around Shigure's shoulders.

"I missed you." Was all he answered.

"So did I."

Now, the arms were both around the Dog and he was held tightly, almost bone crushingly hard. Now the two strange birds perched on the roof could feel each other's body heat and breath and sighing. Now, they were both tense with electric pleasure and they knew that they hadn't come back, but just been reintroduced to one another. Tentatively their noses touched, then their cheeks, their necks. They broke apart. They stared into each other's eyes.

Shigure sensed that this was the moment. The wonderful feeling of this being forbidden was just too strong to resist.

"May I?" he asked politely.

Kyo didn't answer, butlunged forward and pressed his mouth to the Dog's own, almost desperately. Shigure felt his desires come alive, past and present. The tips of his fingers were sparklers and a shiver ran down his back as the red haired one drew away.

"Oh no, not yet, my sly Cat." He smirked as he pulled Kyo back for another kiss. This one wasn't chaste.

They pulled back and panted a little, like their two younger selves after a good natured tussle and looked at each other for the thousanth time since the beginning of spring a few days ago. It was as if they were trying to read what neither of them dared say in one another's eyes, and they were so bright, like so long ago, lightened by playful exertion. Shigure's glowing ember amber brown gaze seemed to laugh, whether in gentle mockery or in sincere joy, his cousin did not know, but it was clearly an invitation. And being trapped inside the beauty and melancholy of it all, Kyo couldn't refuse. He bent forward and they kissed again.

End of chapter two.


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: Fruits Basket belongs to Natsuki Takaya. I'm not making money, just having fun.

Warning: Shonen-ai (but you know that now, don't you?)

A/N: Thank you, my little readers, for spending some of your time on my puny little ficlet… Hehehe. On a more serious note: this is very likely to slip into angst/drama, maybe even tragedy… I did set out to write a more positive fic than I usuall do, but I just seem to associate Shigure and Kyo with the "star-crossed lovers" theme… well. By the way, if you like this pairing I suggest you read "Kanashimi" by Au. That was the first fic I read with this couple and it pretty much started my passion for the Cat/Dog relationship.

**Chapter Three**

_"Oh, licking your bloody lips, smiling and sucking your fingertips, oh lash me with your whip; I'm your slave…"_

taken from "Dear Carniwhore" by For My Pain

Shigure was lying with his head in Kyo's lap under a blossoming tree in a far corner of the woods surrounding the Sohmas' house. Their mouths were still a little red and their lips still somewhat swollen, but their breaths were back to their normal cadence.

"Shigure?"

"Hmm?"

"How long do you think we can keep this up?"

"As long as we can keep it secret." The Dog said dismissively.

Shigure reached up like a hungry infant and was met with a mouth instead of a breast. He fed off the kiss and sighed, still with the taste of the Other on his tongue. He was hungry, more than ever, but he still dared not take what he craved.

It had been a week since their strange enlightening on the roof. Seven days of strenuous pretending that nothing had changed, that the spark in Kyo's eye was just some new idea of how to defeat Yuki, that Shigure must just have forgotten how to tie his obi properly and that that was the real cause of his chest being more and more visible, that his steadily warming smouldering gaze was just due to the warming of the air after such a long winter.

Looking up into Kyo's face, the writer saw again that wonderful innocent expression of trust and of caring. He realised for the first time that, while the nature of their playing had changed, the look in Kyo's eyes had not. Had the spark been there all those years ago, when the Cat was just a child? For he admitted it to himself now: he had desired this boy form the start. As sick as it was, as utterly immoral. He had always delighted in the texture of the skin, in the lines of the face, in imagining how the streamlined muscles would develop. He would never tell the Cat why, when they had visited the onsen a few years ago he had insisted on being the last to leave after having admired the view of the partition between the men's a women's baths for the half hour they had spent in there. And now, he was so close to possessing this boy, not quite man, not child any longer. So close…

He shivered and Kyo said

"Should we leave? It is getting kinda chilly."

"Not for me, no."

If only Kyo knew…

And Shigure had no idea that someone did know. This someone was watching their every move from the shadows.

Torhu set the steaming pot of stew on the table and started ladling it out. Her hands were trembling. She was exhausted from a long day's work but had refused Yuki's polite offer to order out for dinner to spare her the work. She was very happy with how the food had turned out: the flavour, the consistency and appearance were perfect. She watched the Sohma men eat out of the corner of her eye.

That was when she noticed Kyo and Shigure watching each other. Suddenly she became aware of the tension between them. It seemed so obvious now. Since when had it been there? What did it mean?

"Ano, is there something wrong?" she tried.

"What is it my dear Tohru-kun? No one has said anything…" Shigure answered with a smile.

"It's just that Kyo-kun and you seem a little, how should I say, well, you seem somewhat tense…"

Kyo's eyes snapped up at Shigure for a fraction of a second and went back to his bowl subsequently, but the Dog, having paid attention in his nonchalant way didn't miss a thing.

"You're imagining things." Kyo mumbled.

Yuki simply sighed.

Later that evening Shigure heard a knock on his study door. He simply gave a "come in" and turned back to his computer. He was bristling with electric energy as he heard but chose not to see the door roll open. He was however disappointed to find Yuki standing in the frame of light.

"Yes?" he said with upturned mouth-corners as he got up to turn on a light.

"I was just wondering, has Kyo read any of your books?"

"What? I don't know, probably not."

"It just seems to me that you two should get to know each other better." Yuki said quietly.

"What exactly do you know?" Shigure said, and now there was nothing but seriousness in his countenance.

"I came across you two when coming back from my garden this afternoon."

"I see."

"You should be more careful."

"Don't worry, I will."

Yuki sighed. He moved over to the window under the Dog's steady surveillance and looked out at the flowering trees and bushes in the garden. He turned back.

"It's disgusting you know." He uttered very very softly, as if afraid.

"I didn't think you cared enough about Kyo to be disgusted by something that's not actually your business." Shigure threw tersely.

"I'm not talking about the both of you, only of you. When will you tell him? Will you even tell him?"

"You knew." Shigure said flatly. Then "How?" and after "Did Akito guess?"

Yuki nodded.

"Get out." Shigure mouthed, now uncharacteristically angry looking.

Kyo was lying on the floor, feeling restless. He didn't dare go to Shigure's room. Not yet anyway. He opened his eyes when he heard his door roll open. Yuki came in and dropped a note on him and left saying:

"You should know."

Kyo rubbed his eyes, puzzled. He picked up the note and unfolded it. It read 'Ask Shigure for how long he's wanted what has now come to pass.'

End of chapter three.


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters and am not getting any money out of them. They are copyrighted to Natsuki Takaya.

A/N: Hello. Long time no see. What was originally a spring fic has hibernated all summer and autumn to wake again in winter. Make any sense? No, I didn't think so. Anyhow, since I have gotten lots of lovely reviews demanding more over the past few months, I've decided to be a nice author and finish the story, although I had come to a creative rut in the plot. The show must go on. – Isa

**Taste Spring**

Chapter four.

Kyo crumpled the note, but was troubled. It seemed that Yuki knew something. Remembering Shigure's assertion that they would have to lay low if anyone found out, he quietly made his way to the writer's room. He rolled open the door, only to find Shigure lying on his bed with all the lights out, but fully clothed.

"Shigure?" he tried.

"Hmm? Kyo?" he sat up.

"I just got a visit from Yuki." Kyo said with an almost question mark-like tone in the final word.

"I can explain." Shigure said quickly, and instead of asking anything else Kyo just let his cousin carry on, though he hadn't the faintest clue what his friend was going on about. Misinterpreting the silence as reproof, Shigure got up and kneeled in front of Kyo, gently putting his arms around his waist.

"I've wanted you for forever."

Kyo just grinned and beckoned, not having understood the literality of "forever". Shigure was swamped by relief at what he knew either to be extreme indulgence or a misunderstanding, and moved forwards to melt with the cat. They were like two joint candles, their flames bright and alive, their clothing gradually seeming to melt away and slide down to collect in a solid pool, where their feet had been, which were now slowly carrying their charges to bed.

The next days were mild and warm. Daffodils were slowly giving way to freesias and the light was getting more intense. Yuki was worried. He could clearly see that his note had not had any visible effect. Judging by the slightly far-off and peaceful look Kyo had these days, it had certainly not done anything to deter him from his involvement with Shigure. It was clear to Yuki that the writer could only have lied, if Kyo really had mentioned the note to him. Following Kyo up the strairs after breakfast one morning he tapped him on the soulder.

"What?" Kyo said coldly.

"No need to react like that, stupid cat." Yuki said, keeping as much contempt out of his voice as he could.

"What do you want?" Kyo said rather more neutrally.

"Er, the note I left you. Did you follow my advice?" Yuki asked, not so sure now about his having any right to interfere after all.

"I did. Not that it's any of your business. Now get out of my sight, before I really get angry. You're making me late." Kyo spat, somewhat disconcerted.

He stomped down the hall to the bathroom to brush his teeth. As he was scrubbing away (oh, how he hated that scrubbing, brushing sound, it made the hair on the back of his neck bristle), he glanced at the bathtub. What did the rat mean? He had quite forgotten about the note, seeing as he had had other, more interesting occupations lately. What had it said again? Something about asking Shigure something. Well that was settled, wasn't it? On the other hand: 'He didn't explain anything' Kyo thought ' he just created a diversion.' Kyo grinned at the memory. He dismissed the idea and spat out his toothpaste foam.

Shigure sat at his desk, penning a rough storyline for a new project. He was content, but a little melancholy. 'You just love things you can't have, don't you?' he thought to himself 'maybe it would've been better if you hadn't…gone all the way.'

He put down his pen and looked out of the window.

"Screw Akito." He said.

It was the clan head who was responsible for his taste for inaccessible things, but this time he would go against his nature. He would continue his strange romance and friendship, at least for a while.

Once again, as summer was just a calendar page away, he would enjoy the last soft days and fully taste spring.

End.


End file.
